Monden mastered many skills including harvesting, processing, splitting, dyeing, bending, weaving, and knotting bamboo to create his explosive Ocean Whirlpool. Monden's artistic name, Kogyoku, translates to "bamboo grove treasure." The name, which suggests the artist's considerable skill, was probably given to him by his teacher Kadota Niko (1907-1994), who was also his uncle.